Association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and autonomic dysfunction in a Chinese population

Autonomic dysfunction (AD) accompanying with chronic liver disorders led to an increased risk of mortality. However, researches that investigated the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and AD were insufficient.

To study the association of NAFLD with AD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

Four thousand nine hundred seventy-four adults aged 40 years or older were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic B-mode ultrasonography. Autonomic function was assessed using a simple EZSCAN test by measuring sudomotor function, with an AD index > 50% defined as a manifestation of AD.

Pearson correlation, multiple stepwise linear regression, univariate and multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between NAFLD and AD, controlling for potential confounders.

The prevalence of AD was significantly higher in participants with NAFLD than those without (40.75 vs. 26.86%, P < 0.0001). Age, body mass index, status of diabetes, sex, diastolic blood pressure and prevalent NAFLD, were positively correlated with AD index in multiple stepwise linear regression analysis (all P < 0.05), whereas total cholesterol was negatively related to it (P = 0.0043). Compared with the participants without NAFLD, those with NAFLD had an increased odds of the prevalent AD (odds ratio 1.38; 95% confidence interval 1.15-1.64; P = 0.0004) after controlling for multiple confounders.

The presence of NAFLD was significantly associated with AD, as indicated by abnormal sudomotor function. The association was independent from various conventional risk factors.